Microsoft’s SideWinder gaming gear has been around for close to two years now and line has expanded from a single mouse to a few different products. We have looked at a lot of it in the past and while it all always looks impressive on paper, I generally have not been won over by the devices. A lot of this comes down to person preference, but it has always seemed like Microsoft decided on the feature set and then designed the product, as opposed to building up a great mouse and then finding a way to get the right features inside. This approach works for a lot of people, but I’ve yet to be won over by a SideWinder mouse.

In this review we’ll be looking at the SideWinder X8 gaming mouse in this review. In the past we’ve looked at the original SideWinder with its very cool metal buttons and scroll wheel, as well as the SideWinder X5, an affordable take on the original. The SideWinder X8 tweaks the design of the X5 while going wireless and moving from a 2000dpi sensor to 4000dpi. The X8 also jumps up to $80, which is the highest price for a SideWinder so far.

On the exterior the X8 is almost the same as the SideWinder and the X5 so be sure to check back to those reviews for comments on the shape of the mouse, the fit in the gamer’s hand, the contours of the design, and button placement. The X8 is very similar to the previous two, but some changes were made and we now have a more angular mouse than in the past. The X8 uses a 10-button design like the original (the X5 has nine) with the layout being: two primary buttons, the scroll wheel, three sensitivity buttons below the scroll wheel, one in the palm rest, forward and back buttons on the side, and a macro-record buttons in front of those two. This seems like a lot, but all you will really need to rely on during gaming are the two primaries, the wheel, and forward/back so you generally will just be tracking five. The X8 also has had its LCD restored so users can one again see what dpi setting they are running (4000, 1000, and 500, by default). The feet are replaceable and two extra sets made of materials with slightly different textures (some are slicker than others) are included, hidden away in the wireless transmitter. Swapping sets takes just a few second per foot.

The layout of the X8’s buttons means that it is once again a mouse I’d recommend for (right-handed) people with larger hands. The steep curve on the back pushes the user’s hand back so while the mouse is manageable, it won’t feel quite perfect for everyone. (I’ve used each SideWinder for some time and have always had trouble getting comfortable). People that it does fit will find the mouse easy to navigate and the buttons accessible. The newly designed forward/back buttons on the left side are flat so you won’t accidentally hit them and the scroll wheel has a solid click (along with side-to-side action). The palm button and the macro record button are both out of the way, but they are not ones that you’ll be using very often. As for the “extra” buttons on the mouse, the macro record button is great to see, it’s not entirely clear why Microsoft keeps the palm button (Quick Launch) around.

Of all the mouse’s buttons Microsoft says seven are programmable using the included software. That is actually five real buttons, plus the left and right tilt of the mouse wheel (which we don’t normally count).

As far as materials and feel goes, the X8 is very close to the X5–both still seem to be a bit of a step back from the original. The X8’s scroll wheel has a knurled metal outer section which is a cool bonus, but the original was still the most impressive of the bunch. It also had a customizable weight, which the X8 does not had. All the buttons click well and feel accurate, though the vertical forward/back buttons don’t have very distinct clicking actions.

With the details out of the way, what makes the X8 the X8, and not just a slightly updated X5? The biggest single factor is that the X8 is wireless. Finally we are seeing more gaming mouse go wireless, something was wasn’t going to happen until the companies were confident that the products would be accurate and free of lag. The X8 uses a 2.4GHz signal and full USB report rate. Another big feature is what Microsoft calls “BlueTrack Technology”. This is basically the sensor technology that the mouse uses along with the use of blue LED lighting, instead of red. It’s cool stuff and should allow the mouse to work on any surface, but it’s nothing amazing. Finally the mouse has a lot of power on board–in addition to being able to write macros on-the-fly, it handles 13000fps image processing, can tak 75G maximum acceleration, and up to 120 IPS (inches per second) of movement.

The included software does not take the normal approach of adding on a new programs to your computer. The software actually augments the Microsoft Mouse application with Microsoft Intellipoint features. After you identify your mouse as the X8 an image of it will come up and you will be able to configure what certain buttons do (left button, right button, wheel, bottom thumb, top thumb, wheel left tilt, and wheel right tilt). This software will also allow for program-specific settings, for example different games you might want to customize for. At first some of the other features will seem hidden, but by clicking on a buttons pull-down menu you will see that there are about 35 shortcut options that you can choose from. At the most basic level you set a mouse button to something like Shift or Ctrl, and on the more advanced side you can trigger a macro. The macro editor isn’t very intuitive, but it is capable and with some work and dialing in it can be quite powerful.

Also include with the mouse is the wireless transmitter, the design of which was clearly inspired by the yo-yo. This part plugs into your computer using USB and, when you want to charger your mouse, you unwrap the cord from the middle of the device. When you are done the tiny plug connects magnetically to the front of the X8, in a tiny groove. The best part–unlike a standard dock, you can use the mouse will it’s charging.

Overall, the SideWinder X8 is a mixed bag. Not everyone is going to like the fit, so it’s definitely a mouse to try before you buy, but as far as features go, the mouse has most of the competition beat. The specifications are top-notch: it’s wireless, there a capable macro editor (which is sadly crammed into an clunky software application, Microsoft’s BlueTrack technology is used, it has customizable feet, there is an LCD, and you can game while it charges. Microsoft really thought of everything here, so if you are a fan of previous SideWinders, the X8 is worth checking out. If you couldn’t handle the feel of the previous models, then once again you’ll want to pass on what is otherwise a very good, though somewhat pricey, mouse.

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Reader Comments

Shadow

I bought a Razer Lachesis originally, I was blown away with how nice and lag free it was. Then I read some dribble online about its EULA, after reading the documentation I decided to get my money back. Basically Razer thinks your stupid, according to its license you are allowed to use their mice on any other computer except the one you own own. Regardless if you bought the mouse, their restriction adds more insult to injury where your not allowed to make copies of their software or even have an internet connection which shares resources in which your mouse might be used.

After deeply probing into microsofts sidewinder x8 I finally decided on the green lights with this product. Coming from a logitech background “not a fan boy” I feel like I know what to expect out of sidewinder. I think they really hit the mark with sidewinder, it puts up a mean front compared to its competition. I would probably agree with its not for everyone remark, its a great product but if you own an older gen sidewinder you probably wont ever get over the questionable idea. If you are coming from logitech background, all I can say is if you can stand change try sidewinder otherwise stick to logitech.